Challenge
by fyd818
Summary: There’s more than one way to win a fight. Pure fluff. RononTeyla


Disclaimer: I don't own "Stargate: Atlantis" and I don't claim to. (If I did, Teyla and Ronon would be happily married with half-a-dozen kids by now ) I am making no monetary gain from this, it is meant for entertainment purposes only.

Summary: There's more than one way to win a fight. Fluffy. RononTeyla

Rating: K 

Warnings: Pure fluff

Pairing: Ronon/Teyla

Title: _Challenge_

Author: fyd818

Part 1/1

Dedication: To **Dia.Dahling**, my sister, writer, friend, and fellow Spanky fan. I love you, sis, and happy birthday! I hope it's a pleasant, happy, and fun one! 

Author's note: Written for my friend's birthday. Random Ronon/Teyla fluff ('cause we both love it). I hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading!

"**Challenge"**

_fyd818_

The surf foamed white against the golden shore as Teyla Emmagan and Ronon Dex picked their way down the cliff face leading to the beach. Red-gold sun rays spilled across the horizon as the sun hung at half-mast, ready to retire for the evening. But for Ronon and Teyla, things were just beginning.

A warm breeze ruffled Teyla's hair as she kicked off her leather sandals and shifted her Bantos rod to her right hand. "Are you ready, Ronon?"

Already barefoot, Ronon followed her lead. He spun his rod a few times forwards, then backwards, and grinned a savage grin. It was meant to unnerve her, but it just sent a thrill of excitement through her. She shivered in anticipation. "Ready," he said, voice gruff. His green eyes gleamed with excitement.

Teyla lunged forward into her attack. She swung her rod over her head and brought it down at an angle toward the side of his neck.

Ronon ducked away from her attack, and caught her lower back with a sharp blow from his rod. Teyla grunted, spinning around and through, her rod preceding her by a mere moment.

Her partner parried smoothly. It didn't take him long to get into a fight – and he was _really_ into this one. He attacked aggressively, putting her on the defensive as she ducked and blocked, barely having time to strike once or twice.

But Teyla was content to allow him to expend his energy on the fight. She danced around his strikes and counter-strikes, easily avoiding each. She began to sweat, and tossed her head a little to shake back strands of hair that were trying to stick to her face with a filmy sheen of perspiration.

Ronon grinned again and drove another attack toward her. Teyla grasped his rod, planted her feet, and used his own momentum to spin him around.

He landed in the foamy ocean, flat on his seat, mouth agape and eyes wide. Water dripped from the ends of his hair and his beard.

Teyla smirked. "Shall we go again?" She knew better than to offer him her hand – if she did, _she'd_ be in the ocean next to him.

Ronon's eyes narrowed and he glared. A low growl rumbled deep in his chest. He sprang to his feet and tossed his rod farther up the beach.

Teyla turned and bolted. Moments later she heard Ronon's footsteps behind her, pounding through the sand. She set her jaw and ran faster, determined his longer stride wouldn't allow him to catch up to her. If he caught her, she'd be in _big_ trouble.

The red glow of the setting sun blazed off the ocean and gave the water a beautiful purple, almost black, hue. She ran through the still-warm sand, her feet sending granules flying in a stream around and behind her.

Two powerful arms closed around her waist. The ground rushed up to meet her as Ronon knocked her over with his momentum. She let out a decidedly ungraceful squeal as she landed and rolled, Ronon's arms around her protecting her from the impact.

"Ronon!" She was laughing far too hard for her utterance of his name to sound seriously angry.

He grunted something indistinguishable into her hair as he lifted her, tossed her over his shoulder, and carried her down to the ocean. Teyla hung upside down and grasped fistfuls of his sopping shirt to steady herself as she gasped fitful bursts of laughter. She knew what was coming, but at this point she was having too much fun to care.

Ronon pulled her off his shoulder and threw her unceremoniously into the water.

Teyla came up sputtering and still laughing. She shoved her dripping hair out of her face and laughed harder – so hard tears streamed down her face – at Ronon's look of utter consternation. Apparently he'd thought tossing _her_ in the ocean would ruin her fun.

She couldn't help it. She planted her hands on her knees and doubled over, then began to howl with laughter again. She hadn't had so much fun in _years_.

Ronon sloshed out into the water, grasped her shoulders, and straightened her with a firm but gentle tug. "Have you lost it?" he asked her. But she could see the laughter glinting in his dark green eyes, and the way his beard quivered with his attempt to hide a smile.

Impulsively, Teyla threw her arms around Ronon and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Ronon!" she gasped. "I have not had this much fun in a very, very long time!"

Hesitantly, Ronon's arms closed around her in a warm embrace. "Thank _you_, Teyla." The words were so soft, at first she wasn't sure she heard them correctly – or at all.

Suddenly solemn, she lifted her head from his chest to look up into his earnest eyes. She swallowed hard at the look she found there: intense, admiring, wistful, all at once.

She swallowed hard. _ He is going to kiss me. . ._ Excitement fluttered deep in her stomach. Her breath caught in anticipation.

Ronon ducked his head at the same moment as his large hands came up to cup her face. He paused a breath away from her lips as his thumbs quickly brushed across her cheekbones.

Then he closed the distance and kissed her.

Teyla closed her eyes and leaned against him. Suddenly, she felt weak-kneed and wobbly. She melted fully into his welcome kiss; warmth spread through her as the entire world around them disappeared. He tasted like the spicy herbal tea he'd been drinking earlier: familiar, and right. Just like how she felt at the moment: _right_.

A wave rushed across them at that moment and nearly knocked Teyla's legs from beneath her. Ronon reacted just as quickly, however. He pulled his face away from hers and shifted so he could lift her up, one arm beneath her knees and the other around her shoulders. He carried her up the beach, out of the reach of the water, and stared down into her face with wide, excited eyes.

Teyla's breath was still caught somewhere in her chest. She swallowed twice and relaxed her stranglehold around his neck. "Ronon?" she asked. She still sounded breathless, but she couldn't find it in herself to be ashamed at that fact.

"Yes?" Ronon sounded just as breathless.

"You can put me down now."

"Huh? Oh." He swiftly set her on her feet, but one hand lingered on her shoulder and the other at her waist. "I love you, you know."

Teyla smiled at his frankness. At first she'd disliked that quality of his, but now she found it – endearing. "I love you, too." And she did. Perhaps she had just realized it, but somehow, for a long time, she _had_ loved him.

Ronon smiled and wrapped his arms around her in an excited hug as the first few stars bejeweled the dark blue sky above.

From that night forward, Teyla's life changed: for the better.

_**-The End-**_


End file.
